Back in April I dug out a kidney shape for a pond which I intend to line with a butyl liner to create an informal pond, welcoming to wildlife. Due to the very hot Spring, the clay substructure dried out much sooner than I had anticipated. This caused a delay to the final shaping of the hole. I then became unsure of how to achieve the curved edging plus the graded beach area for easy access and exit for wildlife, causing further delay.
Finally a totally unforeseen delay arrived in the shape of a surprise visitor.....a mole! Is it possible to garden alongside a mole? Should I continue with the pond which included laying a layer of old Axminster carpet under the liner, before re-homing this mole or should I forget the pond based on the fact that the mole could dig his way through both the carpet and the liner? Given that we are involved with a production of “Wind in the Willows” in the Autumn in which Mole plays a starring part, I feel total eradication is not an option in this case.

Phill Egan

8 Jun, 2011

Answers

That's a tough one. Mole tunnels vary from 70cm to just below ground, so I suppose there is a risk it could penetrate through to your pond by accident, but I'm not sure how easy it would be for it to get through a solid layer of axminster carpet, to start with anyway, before it rots. I think, as you've got it all prepared, I'd go ahead with it and see what happens. Maybe they've got some sort of alert system that tells them where to tunnel and where not to, especially where water's concerned - shouldn't think any mole wants to risk being flooded in its tunnels.